Love In The Night
by michelle.m.michealson
Summary: Connor gets the surprise of his undead life when he meets a girl when on watch. She's strangly familiar but she ain't talking. What surprises will this lovely lady have in store? And why does she keep asking for "Him"?
1. Chapter 1

The constant pounding of the bass gave Connor a headache. The reception had just began but already Connor longed for a sip of blissky.

" Connor my man why aren't you dancing? there's plenty of pretty ladies."

Phineas. The young vamp was very well known for his…_adventures with the ladies. Most days Connor had a grudging affection for the man. Today he just wanted to hit him. _

"_Phineas, lad if you do not get away from me this moment I will stick my claymore down ye bloody throat."_

_The end was barely loud enough for even vampire ears to hear it. Phineas quickly scurried away, no doubt to tell Angus about the most recent exploit of Connor's big mouth. Connor sighed. His boss was in many ways the only man he could count as a friend, but if his recent behaviour kept up he might very well lose his job. Ever since Robby and Olivia's engagement Connor had been snappy and angry with everyone. He hated to admit to himself but he knew it was jealousy. The oldest and closest of his friends were all getting married. He had no one to tell his secrets to or hold before he went into his death sleep. _

"_Connor?"_

_He snapped out of his silent musings to see Angus, as expected._

" _Lad, what's wrong? Ye haven't been yeself of late"_

_Connor shrugged and looked back towards Robby and Olivia's wedding reception. Angus could read him like an open book. _

"_Ye know what? How 'bout ye take next watch? Ye have five minutes."_

_At that moment Connor felt like hugging the old man. _

"_I'd love to."_

_He took off into the night. The cool air blasted against his face. The beautiful shadows wrapped around him both shielding and caressing him. Suddenly he heard the sound of a twig snapping. He turned swiftly around, startled._

"_Hello."_


	2. Chapter 2

"Hello"

Her voice was death and sorrow itself but still held her Scottish lilt. Connor drew his claymore shifting the earth beneath him so he was ready to leap. The malcontent had appeared out of the shadows not giving him a clue of her approach.

"Aye. Who are ye?"

Connor had no time to ditty dawdle. The Dragenesti's needed him inside to contain the roaring wedding reception in the ballroom. This was supposed to be a quick five minute sweep and Connor knew that questioning and killing this malcontent could take awhile especially if his sudden desire had anything to say about it.

"I am Michelle"

The name suited her black hair and electric blue eyes. But even as Connor admired the beautiful Michelle he couldn't help but feel that she was strangely familiar. It was her definite features but more the tilt of her lips and the shadow of her jaw.

"And what do ye want?"

Michelle tilted her head and peered into his eyes considering his question. He doubted that she would answer at all which would give him a reason to grab her and lock her up down in the silver room. Not that he needed a reason to lock up a malcontent ,he reminded himself. But then she answered admittedly it was vague and gave him no clues to her presence here but it was an answer.

"To see him"

His mind raced trying to figure out who _he_ was. Romatech had more than 75 male guards here to supervise Robby and Olivia's wedding and reception. It could be that she was looking for one of the married guards but he doubted it. All the women had placed very large wedding announcements in the newspaper. He looked into her eyes trying to will her to give up more of an answer but her lips held a stubborn line that just made the desire stirring inside him flame higher. He shook off the fire and let the wall of anger for the malcontents come to the forth of his mind. He tightened the hand on his claymore and prepared for the fight the beautiful, stubborn women was bound to put up. He took an threatening step toward her letting hate and anger and cold calculation claim his eyes. Michelle swiftly backed up slamming into a tree.

"Now Lass," he hissed between his teeth " That not a good enough answer. But I'll ask ye one thing before this sword turns ye to dust. Who. Is. He?"

She turned her head so she was staring directly into his eyes. He was shocked to see anger in her eyes not the fear usually present when he threaten a malcontent to death.

"I'm not going to tell you."

He already figured she wouldn't. She was too fierce to let a man like himself boss her around. But she had obviously not been trained to fight because in the next moment his claymore was pressed to her throat. Any solider would have been paying attention to his body not his eyes. As he pressed slightly on the sword he saw the fear he had been waiting for stir in her eyes. It left him feeling oddly hollow instead of the satisfaction he usually felt.

"And what about now Lass?"

She answered immediately. Connor smiled inwardly. The persuasive powers of his sword always amazed him. It seem that whenever held to a malcontent they couldn't stop blabbering on.

" Ian. I'm looking for Ian."

Ian. A burst of jealousy raged inside of him. Ian was married but apparently this girl didn't know. His body told him to shove against the tree and show her that there were other fish in the sea but he just stood there and answered softly in a deadly voice.

"Aye. So ye be looking for Ian now."

She nodded and he saw a flurry of emotion storm into her face. Both sorrow and joy danced a raging battle in her eyes. He wondered at the sorrow. It was not usually something he saw in a malcontents face. And it wasn't something to be seen in a lovers face either. So why did she want Ian. He looked into her eyes to see if they could reveal anything else but saw that only one emotion now adorned her beautiful face. Fear.

" Run! Please run! They're coming!"

Michelle looked frantically around, all the while pushing him urging him to leave. Connor didn't know who "they" were but the fear dancing around her face made a ball of anger erupt in his chest scorching his throat.

"No! now tell me why you want Ian. Then I will run."

Her eyelids fluttered rapidly in panic. If this was just a rouse to get him away then this would tell him everything he needed to know. Suddenly a look of gut wrenching horror ripped through her face.

"Because he is my brother! Now run!"

He threw her over his shoulder and ran.


	3. Chapter 3

"What are you doing? Put me down!"

Connor ignored the women's shouts and ran as fast as he could to the main lobby room of the reception hall. There would be 75 guards there, if they couldn't save her, no one could.

"No! Don't do this! Leave me!"

Connor rolled his eyes. This women expects him to let her go after what she said? To state that she was Ian's sister then leave before he could confirm it, was not going to happen. Finally they reached the hell of the party. As he stormed in everyone turned to him in shock. He winced remembering he forgot to send a telepathic message to warn his friends about his pending arrival and their new guest. His eyes searched the room and landed on Ian.

"Ian. Outside. Now!"

He shouted across the room. He stomped back out the doors at a slower pace with Michelle beating his back with her fists. He waited on the patio for only a matter of seconds before he was joined not only by Ian but Roman, Angus, Jean-Luc, Phil, Robby and their wives. Connor groaned inwardly. A big crowd was not going to make this any easier, especially if the girl was lying.

"Connor! Who's the lass? What's all this about?"

He ignored Angus and looked Ian directly in the eye and slowly lowered Michelle to the ground, still gripping her arm tightly.

"Ian do you know this girl?"

Michelle stiffened at the word 'girl' but still looked Ian deeply in the eyes willing him to remember. Ian scrutinised her and his brow scrunched together as if he was recalling some deeply buried memory.

"She looks familiar."

Ian's face was now even more perplexed. He was obviously trying to recall every memory of his long life to place her face. Michelle, being the quiet polite girl she was, took the silent moment to speak loudly.

"Ian! Ian please! Don't you remember me?"

Tears were pouring down her face and Connor felt his heart ache in turn. And with the shrill pitch of her voice Ian's face held shock and joy. Mostly shock.

"Michelle?"

He whispered with disbelief as if his greatest hope was coming true. She nodded a smile of love and happiness spreading across her tear-streaked features. Ian ran forward and engulfed Michelle in a huge bear huge. Connor released her arm. She squealed with joy as Ian spun her in a circle. At this point both were crying and Connor felt the uncomfortable urge to leave the room.

"So it's true."

He whispered under his breath. Unfortunately he failed to realize that in a space full of vampires nothing was unheard.

"Connor! What is going on?"

Angus looked curious and slightly suspicious. Connor laughed silently at the distrustful look on Toni's face.

"I think Ian should tell ye."

Ian looked up at his name and smiled as he released Michelle.

"Everyone I would like you to meet me little sister."

A collective gasp rose through the gathering. Toni ran up to her husband and smiled. She turned to Michelle and waved.

"Hello. I can't believe this! I thought Ian's family was all dead! By the way my name is Toni, I'm Ian's wife."

Michelle smiled and waved back at Toni while raising an eyebrow at her brother. Ian blushed and pulled Toni to his side.

"Ian, Michelle what am I missing here?"

Toni's head swung between the silent conversation going on between the siblings. Michelle laughed at Ian as Ian turned a brighter red if that was possible.

"When I was ten, I caught Ian and the milk maid from down the way in the barn together. She happened to be blonde."

At this point Ian looked more tomato then man. He gave a pleading look to his sister telling her with his eyes to stop. Michelle laughed and continued with her story.

"Well after I found them Ian left in a hurry but that milk maid stayed and decided to tell me all the err…_juicy_ details. I told Ian and he was so mad. He cursed blonde haired women up and down saying they couldn't be trusted. Then he vowed that the day he married a blonde was the day after he married a man."

She looked around the room with a innocent and curious face.

"So which of you did he marry?"

The patio roared with rounds of laughter. Connor looked and saw that everyone was already enamoured with the girl. As the laughter faded he stepped forward.

"Michelle I have but one question. How are you here? Ian is over 400 years old and you only two younger than him."

Michelle's features showed a mix of dread and absolute terror. Everyone looked shocked at Connor's pointed question.

"Connor! She just got here! What gives you the right to ask such a question?"

Ian was furious but Connor didn't care. He held eyes only for Michelle.

"No it's okay Ian."

She spoke softly. Everyone looked and waited. She took a deep breath and tears filled her eyes. But so did determination.

"Casimir killed me."

**A/N: CLIFFY! LAWLZ GOT TO LOVE 'EM! JUST HERE TO SAY I DON'T OWN THE LOVE AT STAKE SERIES BY KERRLYN SPARKS. BUT I **_**DO**_** OWN MICHELLE, THE MOST AMAZING CHARATER EVER!**


	4. Chapter 4

Everyone's jaws dropped and Ian began to sputter

"Wha..What!"

Connor stood glued to his spot. At that moment he was surprised not only to feel shock but protective anger. He turned as he heard Roman clear his throat.

"Maybe we should take this to the meeting room, hm?"

Everyone nodded and began to move to the hall. The wedding reception was still going strong but at this point no one cared.

"S what are you saying? How did you even meet Casimir?"

Roman was obviously sympathetic towards Michelle. He himself had been turned and had to endure life with Casimir. Seated around the long oblong table, all eyes were riveted to Michelle. She took a deep breath and sighed.

"You all know Ian's story correct?"

Everyone nodded.

"Well when Ian came home after being turned he got in a huge fight with our mother. She said he would kill all of us. I don't think either you or our mum realized, Ian but I was hiding in the loft the entire time."

Connor looked and saw Ian's face was shocked and slightly saddened. He saw Toni squeeze Ian's hand and felt a small tug of jealousy.

"When our mother kicked Ian out I was furious. I was only 14 at the time but my temper was horrible." she smiled softly. "I screamed and ranted at mum for days because I knew that Ian would never hurt us."

She looked and Ian and he smiled hugely at her.

" So I decided to follow you. I gathered my things and left nary a week after you."

"What! You left!"

Ian looked shocked. Connor rolled his eyes. It wasn't really all that surprising. Michelle was the type of woman that would do things her way and listen to no one. But then again maybe she was different when Ian had known her. But Connor highly doubted it. Michelle carried on as if Ian had said nothing.

" I walked quite far following word of you traveling with four other men. Finally I saw you. The lot off you were sleeping off the coast of England. But just as I was going to join you I was grabbed by a man. Casimir I later found out. He tried to bite me but I broke his nose."

Connor felt his eyes widen.

"Ye broke Casimir's nose?"

"Yep"

She popped the 'P' and shrugged indifferent. Like this was something that happened on a daily basis. He snorted , he wouldn't put it past her. Angus turned to Ian.

"Ye sister is bloody amazing!"

Everyone laughed and Michelle continued with her story.

" He smiled at that for some reason and next thing I knew I was in a castle in the middle of who-knows-where. He told me I was special and asked if I wanted something to drink. I told him I'd rather run butt naked through the halls of the kings palace and that if he didn't let me go I would make sure he was no longer legally a man. Then, surprise, surprise, he locked me up in a dungeon. I was there for a few weeks."

There was a loud crash and Connor looked over to see that Ian had broken the arm off his chair.

"I thought I'd be there for the rest of my life when It happened."

Connor stiffened as a single tear flowed down her cheek. He had a feeling he wouldn't want to hear this. To see this strong beautiful women shed even a single tear meant that what happened would be truly horrifying.

"Casimir came in followed by four other men. Well I thought they were men. Their bodies weren't covered in skin but fur, and, in one man's case, feathers. Casimir sat by my side and drained me dry. Just as I felt the blood drip into my mouth I felt searing pain in my ankles and wrists. The next thing I remember is waking up in a tree covered in blood. At some point during the transformation something happened and I tried to kill everyone in the room. I escaped as did Casimir. I still don't know why I did kill those men though. Don't get me wrong they deserved to die but not the way I did it."

She looked down ashamed, her brow furrowed. Phil cleared his throat.

" I know why. At this point you're saying the men that attacked you were shape shifters, right?"

Michelle nodded.

"Have you studied them at all?"

"No."

" Well turning for the first time without help from a alpha can be…traumatic to say the least. If you woke up with this ability and you saw these men your more animalistic instincts would take total control. If you were fearful of your life then your animal would have done anything to get you out."

Michelle looked down ashamed.

"I swear I didn't mean to! I don't even remember anything except running away."

Connor was shocked. This girl felt so guilty about killing the men that that had ruined her life? She had stricken him as the 'kill and chill' type. To know that even this stubborn, headstrong, flippant girl had so much compassion, rocked him to his core. He suddenly felt ashamed of his own 'kill now ask questions later' attitude.

"Anyway I was so scared that I didn't even notice Casimir coming towards me. He captured me abut this time I wasn't thrown into a dungeon but a tower room. I had a bed and a window. I- I tried to escape every minute of every day. Finally Casimir had had enough. He came to my room with another man and told me I had to join him and his army. When I refused he said it was time to break me." she whispered the last words. "He said that Jedrek was going to help him. He locked the door and stood in the corner. Then the man he…he…"

She burst into tears and started whimpering , reliving her nightmare. Ian ran over and held her as she sobbed.

"It hurt so bad."

At this last whispered statement, everyone in the room was shaking with pain and anger at her broken state, especially since they knew who caused it. Personally, Connor wanted to kill Jedrek Janow all over again. With poisoned blades. And silver nitrate. And maybe some acid. He heard another gut wrenching sob from Michelle. He winced. Actually he'd definitely use acid, lots of acid.

"Michelle, shh, you don't have to say anymore its ok."

Ian didn't finish speaking before Michelle started slowly shaking her head.

"I need to finish this. But if it okay with you I'm just going to give you the short version. For the next four hundred years I was tortured and whored out to Casimir's worthy followers."

She scowled at the word worthy.

" Eventually I found out about synthetic blood and Romatech when Casimir came storming through the castle cursing Roman Dragenesti at the top of his lungs."

She smiled slightly and continued.

" I found a picture of you and realized you were one of the men I had seen with Ian. I knew I had to find all of you so for the next twenty years I pretended to be utterly devoted to Casimir until he trusted me enough to leave the fortress on my own to hunt. One day I just teleported away and to the states. I had been there once before and I knew where to go. I tried to make Casimir think it was a spur of the moment trip by going to places all over the country. I knew he was tracking me so I come here right away. But I have recently learned Casimir has put a price on my head. So I came here for help."

She ended her story by looking around the room and landing her gaze on Connor. He asked a question he hadn't meant to voice at least not yet.

"So what exactly is the extent of your abilities?"

He saw a fearful, cold smile cross her features before she shook her head and sarcasm replaced the smile. She rolled her eyes.

"I'm sooooo glad you asked….."


End file.
